Boat propulsion means



Oct. 17, 1967 c. K. STARRY BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed Dec. Z20, 1965 3,3472% Patented Oct. 17, 1967 Fice ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boat propulsion means including a reciprocative piston means enclosed within a shroud which extends rearwardly from the rearward end of the boat.

Boats are conventionally propelled by an inboard or an outboard motor which operates a propeller means extending rearwardly from the boat. The boat propulsion means of the propeller type is unsatisfactory for two reasons. If the propeller is positioned too low on the boat with respect to the bottom thereof, the propeller will possibly be damaged or fouled upon striking a foreign object. If the propeller is positioned too high on the boat with respect to the bottom thereof, the propeller will be one of the water should the boat become grounded.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a boat propulsion means which is comprised of a shroud extending rearwardly from the boat and which includes a reciprocative piston means mounted therein.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a boat propulsion means which will operate either while submerged or while substantially out of the water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means which will provide thrust for the boat even if the boat is grounded.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means which may be incorporated into existing boats without extensive fabrication thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means which provides a simple but yet efiicient means for propelling a boat.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means which does not protrude to an undesirable depth below the boat.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means having a steering vane means operatively connected thereto.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means having means thereon to prevent weeds, branches or the like from becoming entangled therein.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means including a power exhaust means which aids in the propulsion of a boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means including a means for supplying water to the cooling system of the power means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an exhaust system for the power means which is effectively muflled by the water passing through the rearwardly extending shroud.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a boat propulsion means which is economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the boat propulsion means wherein the broken lines indicate structure which would not otherwise be seen;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the boat propulsion means with a portion of the boat cut away to more fully illustrate the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view as would be seen on line 33 of FIG. 2, the broken lines indicating the relative movement of the piston means;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view as seen on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the boat propulsion means.

The numeral 10 generally designates a conventional boat which is partially shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 and includes a bottom 11 and a transom 13.

The numeral 15 generally designates an elongated, rectangular hollow shroud having a forward end 17, rearward end 19, top 21, bottom 23 and opposite sides 24 and 26. The forward end of shroud 15 is provided with a flange means 27 which extends outwardly from sides 24 and 26 and upwardly from top 21 (FIG. 1). Shroud 15 is secured at its forward end to transom 13 by means of a plurality of bolts 25 extending through flange means 27 and transom 13. As best seen in FIG. 3, a pair of flanges 29 and 31 are secured to shroud 15 adjacent the lower end of sides 24 and 26. Each of the flanges 29 and 31 extend from flange means 27 and have a rearwardly decreasing width thereby providing a substantially triangular shape thereto.

Shroud 15 is provided with a water intake opening 33 formed in its bottom forward end and a water discharge opening 35 at its rearward end. The forward interior of shroud 15 is provided with a baffie 34 which extends downwardly from the upper forward interior of shroud 15 as seen in FIG. 5 and terminates in a rearwardly extending shear bar portion 36. A bearing means 37 is integrally formed with baflle 34 (FIG. 5) and is provided with a flange portion 39 at its forward end which is adapted to engage the exterior surface of transom 13. Baffle 34 and bearing means 37 are provided with a bore extending therethrough adapted to slidably receive a reciprocating piston rod 41 extending therethrough. The forward end of piston rod 41 is operatively connected to a power means 43 which is adapted to power piston rod 41 in a reciprocating manner. An exhaust pipe 45 is operatively connected to power means 43 and extends rearwardly through transom 13 (FIG. 2) and has its rearward end extending downwardly into the interior of shroud 15 as best seen in FIG. 5. It can be seen in FIG. 5 that the discharge opening formed in the rearward end of exhaust pipe 45 is directed rearwardly adjacent the rearward end of shroud 15. A water intake pipe 47 is also connected to power means 43 and extends rearwardly through transom 13 (FIG. 2) and has its rearward end extending downwardly into shroud 15 as shown in FIG. 5.

The rearward end of water intake pipe 47 is bent so as to cause the intake Opening in the rearward end of water intake pipe 47 to be facing towards the forward end of shroud 15. A bearing means 49 is secured to the interior surface of transom 13 by means of bolts and is adapted to slidably receive piston rod 41 therethrough. Bearing means 49 is provided with conventional packing material 51 to prevent water from entering the interior of boat 10.

A hollow housing 53 including a top 55, bottom 57 and opposite sides 59 and 61 is pivotally secured to the rearward end of shroud 15 at 63 and 65 and has a larger horizontal dimension than the rearward end of shroud 15 to permit it to be pivotally moved with respect -to shroud 15. The broken lines in FIG. 3 illustrates one of the positions to which housing 53 may be pivoted. As seen in FIG. 1, an upstanding T-shaped post 64 is secured to top 55 of housing 53 by any convenient means and is opera-.

tively connected to the boat steering mechanism by control lines 66 and 67 which extends beneath a pulley means 69 secured to shroud 15.

A door 71 is provided in bottom 57 of housing 53and is pivotally secured thereto at its rearward end as seen in FIGS. 3 and by means of a rod 73. A spring means 75 is operatively connected to the outer end of rod 73 and normally maintains door 71 in a closed position with respect to bottom 57 and yieldably resists the movement of door 71 to the position illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 5.

A door 77 is rotatably mounted in housing 53 adjacent the rearward end thereof by means of a rod 79 rotatably mountedin sides 59 and 61 and extending therebetween. Rod 79 extends outwardly through side 61 of housing 53 and has an arm member 81 secured thereto which is connected to a control wire 83 extending forwardly into boat 10.

The numeral 85 generally designates a piston means reciprocatably mounted in shroud and including a frame means 87 having a top 89, bottom 91 and opposite sides 93 and 95. A pair of arm members 97 and 99 extend forwardly from the lower forward ends of sides 93 and 95 as best seen in FIG. 3. A shear wire 101 extends between the forward ends of arm members 97 and 99 and is adapted to pass over shear bar 36 when piston means 85 is in its forward position of travel. A pair of oppositely disposed valves 103 and 105 are pivotally secured to sides 93 and 95 of frame means 87 respectively and are yieldably maintained in a closed position (FIG. 3) by spring means 107 and 109 respectively. The rearward ends of valves 103 and 105 are bent inwardly as best seen in FIG. 3. Bottom 91 of frame means 87 is stepped down to provide a shoulder 111 against which the lower ends of valves 103 and 105 abut to limit the inwardly pivotal movement thereof. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the rearward end of piston rod 41 is operatively secured to the forward end of top 89 of frame means 87.

The normal method of operation is as follows. When it is desired to propel the boat forwardly, power means 43 is activated which causes the reciprocating movement of piston rod 41 which causes the reciprocating movement of piston means 85 within shroud 15. When piston means 85 is in its forward position as illustrated in FIG. 3, valves 103 and 105 are closed. The rearward movement of piston rod 41 causes piston means 85 to be moved rearwardly which causes the closed valves 103 and 105 to force the water in shroud 15 rearwardly through discharge opening 35. The rearward movement of piston means 85 not only causes water to be discharged from shroud 15 but also causes water to be drawn inwardly into shroud 15 through intake opening 33. The forward movement of piston rod 41 causes piston means 85 to be moved forwardly which causes valves 103 and 105 to be opened due to the pressure of water against the forward ends thereof as illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 3. As soon as piston means 85 has reached its forward position and piston rod 41 begins its rearward movement, valves 103 and 105 are caused to close by spring means 107 and 109 and also the water pressure against the rearward ends of valves 103 and 105. The forward ends of valves 103 and 105 engage shoulder 111 to limit the forward pivotal movement thereof. The reciprocating movement of piston means causes a column of water to be discharged through discharge opening 35 in shroud 15 to provide the necessary thrust for propelling the boat forwardly. When the boat is being propelled forwardly, door 71 is in a closed position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 and door 77 is in a substantially horizontal position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and S.

The boatv is steeredby simply causing housing 53 to be pivotally moved with respect to shroud 15 as. illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 3 by means of control wires 65 and 67. The pivoting of housing 53 with respect to shroud 15 causes the water being discharged from shroud 15 to be deflected at an angle, with respect to shroud 15 to change the direction of thrust of the discharged water. When it is desired to cause the boat to be propelled rear wardly, it is simply necessary to move door 77 to a closed position as illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 5. When,

door 77 is in a closed position, the rearwardly moving water being discharged from shroud 15 will be deflected downwardly in housing 53 and causes door 71 in the bottom of housing 53 to be opened as illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 5. It can be appreciated that thewater be ing discharged from housing 53, when door 71 is opened, will be deflected forwardly which imparts a rearward thrust to the propulsion means and the boat. It canbe appreciated that the novel means for reversing the direction of the boat eliminates any need for a transmission in combination with the power means 43. Neutral can be achieved by simply varying the position of door 77 with respect to housing 53. When door 77 is partially closed, some of the water will be discharged through the rearward end of housing 53 and some of the water will be discharged from housing 53 by means of door 71 to achieve a neutral thrust or in other words to cause the boat to remain stationary in the water. Door 77 can also be pivotally moved so as to serve as a trim-tab to efficiently control the plane of the boat in relation to the water and also to permit the plane of the boat to be adjusted to different load conditions. The unique means for reversing the direction of travel of the boat not only eliminates the need of a transmission'but also permits the propulsion means to be shifted into reverse at any speed.

Debris such as seaweed or the like is sometimes drawn into shroud 15 and could cause fouling of the propulsion means. However, shear wire 101 extending between the forward ends of arm members 97 and 99 effectively cuts the debris due to its passage over shear bar 36. Any debris between shear wire 101 and shear bar 36 is cut into small pieces to eliminate any fouling of the propulsion means. Additionally, the reciprocating movement of piston means 85 tends to shake loose any debris accumulating thereon.

It can be seen in FIG. 5 that the shroud 15 does not extend below the bottom of the boat 10. This design eliminates unnecessary drag in the propulsion means such as is caused in conventional propeller driven propulsion means. The propulsion means of this invention requires less horsepower to produce the same amount of speed as in conventional boat propulsion means. The boat propulsion means of this invention functions while submerged or while the boat is partially grounded due to the fact that the piston means 85 tends to suck or draw the water into shroud 15 by means of intake opening 33. In other words, the water is drawn upwardly into shroud 15 thereby eliminating the need of having the boat propulsion.

means extend to an objectionable depth below the bottom of the boat 10. Additionally, the propulsion means of this invention eliminates the need of exposed blades thereby permitting the boat propulsion means to be used in water where swimmers or divers are operating without danger thereto.

By causing the exhaust of the power means 43 to be discharged rearwardly into the water being discharged for shroud 15, objectionable back pressure on the power means 43 is eliminated. Also, the exhaust also improves the thrust of the boat propulsion means due to the rearward discharge thereof. Coolant is supplied to power means 43 by means of water intake pipe 47. The rearward moving water in shroud is forced into water intake pipe 47 and into the cooling means of power means 43.

It also should be noted that the boat propulsion means can be reversed even in water so shallow as to keep door 71 from opening due to the fact that the water will exit forwardly between sides 59 and 61 of housing 53 and sides 24 and 26 of shroud 15. The boat propulsion means is constructed of any suitable material.

Thus it can be seen that the unique boat propulsion means has been provided which accomplishes all of its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my boat propulsion means without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A propulsion means for a boat having rearward and forward ends and a bottom,

an elongated hollow shroud operatively secured at one of its ends to the rearward end of said boat and extending rearwardly therefrom and including rearward and forward ends and a bottom portion,

said shroud having a water intake opening formed in its lower portion adjacent its forward end and a discharge opening formed in its rearward end,

a movable piston means reciprocatably mounted in said shroud between the intake and discharge openings therein and adapted to draw water into said shroud through said intake opening and to force water rearwardly from said shroud through said discharge opening,

said piston means being adapted to be operatively secured to a reciprocable power means,

and control means operatively connected to said shroud to selectively deflect the water being discharged from said shroud to change the direction of travel of the boat,

said valve means including first and second valve members pivotally secured to said piston means and movable towards and away from each other, said first and second valve members being normally closed and having tapered inner ends adapted to assist in moving said first and second valve members towards each other when said piston means moves rearwardly with respect to said shroud,

said piston means including a movable valve means which is adapted to open when said piston means moves forwardly with respect to said shroud and adapted to close when said piston means moves rearwardly with respect to said shroud.

2. A propulsion means for a boat having rearward and forward ends and a bottom,

an elongated hollow shroud operatively secured at one of its ends to the rearward end of said boat and extending rearwardly therefrom and including rearward and forward ends and a bottom portion,

said shroud having a water intake opening formed in its lower portion adjacent its forward end and a discharge opening formed in its rearward end,

a movable piston means reciprocatably mounted in said shroud between the intake and discharge openings therein and adapted to draw water into said shroud through said intake opening and to force water rearwardly from said shroud through said discharge opening,

said piston means being adapted to be operatively secured to a reciprocable power means,

and control means operatively connected to said shroud to selectively deflect the water being discharged from said shroud to change the direction of travel of the boat,

said shear means being operatively secured to said piston means adjacent the forward end thereof which reciprocably moves over a shear bar on said shroud to shear debris entering said shroud.

3. A propulsion means for a boat having rearward and forward ends and a bottom,

an elongated hollow shroud operatively secured at one of its ends to the rearward end of said boat and extending rearwardly therefrom and including rearward and forward ends and a bottom portion,

said shroud having a water intake opening formed in its lower portion adjacent its forward end and a discharge opening formed in its rearward end,

a movable piston means reciprocatably mounted in said shroud between the intake and discharge openings therein and adapted to draw water into said shroud through said intake opening and to force water rearwardly from said shroud through said discharge opening,

said piston means being adapted to be operatively secured to a reciprocable power means,

said shroud having a rearward end including spaced apart vertical walls, a top wall extending between the upper ends of said vertical walls, and a bottom wall extending between the lower ends of said vertical walls,

a hollow housing pivotally secured about a vertical axis to said shroud at the rearward end thereof and having open rearward and forward ends, and including top and bottom wall members and vertical side wall members,

said housing having a horizontal width greater than the horizontal width of the rearward end of said shroud whereby the vertical side walls of said housing are spaced outwardly of the vertical walls of said shroud, and

a first damper pivotally secured to said housing at the rearward end thereof to selectively close the rearward end thereof,

said housing having a second damper pivotally secured to its bottom wall member which is opened by the water pressure thereagainst when said first damper is pivotally moved to cause water to be discharged towards the boat to reduce the forward thrust of the boat propulsion means, the closing of said first damper also causing water to be discharged from the forward end of said housing between the vertical walls of said shroud and the vertical side wall members of said housing.

4. The propulsion means of claim 3 wherein said piston means includes a movable valve means which is adapted to open when said piston means moves forwardly with respect to said shroud and adapted to close when said piston means moves rearwardly with respect to said shroud, said valve means including first and second valve members pivotally secured to said piston means and movable towards and away from each other, said first and second valve members being normally closed and having means thereon adapted to assist in moving said first and second valve members towards each other when said piston means moves rearwardly with respect to said shroud.

5. The propulsion means of claim 3 wherein said first damper is pivoted about a central horizontal axis.

6. The propulsion means of claim 3 wherein an ex haust pipe extends from the power means downwardly and rearwardly into said shroud rearwardly of said piston means.

7 7. The propulsion means of claim 3 wherein a coolant pipe extends from the power means into said shroud, said coolant pipe having a forwardly extending intake portion in said shroud.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,383 2/1872 Dancker 115-31 1,688,376 10/1928 Bidoire 115-31 8, 2,024,274 12/ 1935 Campini 11514 3,187,708 6/1965 Fox 115-12 3,240,181 3/1966 Chandler et a1. 11516 FOREIGN PATENTS 567,569 2/ 1945 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

1. A PROPULSION MEANS FOR A BOAT HAVING REARWARD AND FORWARD ENDS AND A BOTTOM, AN ELONGATED HOLLOW SHROUD OPERATIVELY SECURED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO THE REARWARD END OF SAID BOAT AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM AND INCLUDING REARWARD AND FORWARD ENDS AND A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID SHROUD HAVING A WATER INTAKE OPENING FORMED IN ITS LOWER PORTION ADJACENT ITS FORWARD END AND A DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN ITS REARWARD END, A MOVABLE PISTON MEANS RECIPROCATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SHROUD BETWEEN THE INTAKE AND DISCHARGE OPENINGS THEREIN AND ADAPTED TO DRAW WATER INTO SAID SHROUD THROUGH SAID INTAKE OPENING AND TO FORCE WATER REARWARDLY FROM SAID SHROUD THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID PISTON MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE OPERATIVELY SECURED TO A RECIPROCABLE POWER MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SHROUD TO SELECTIVELY DEFLECT THE WATER BEING DISCHARGED FROM SAID SHROUD TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE BOAT, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND VALVE MEMBERS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID PISTON MEANS AND MOVABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND VALVE MEMBERS BEING NORMALLY CLOSED AND HAVING TAPERED INNER ENDS ADAPTED TO ASSIST IN MOVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND VALVE MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER WHEN SAID PISTON MEANS MOVES REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHROUD, SAID PISTON MEANS INCLUDING A MOVABLE VALVE MEANS WHICH IS ADAPTED TO OPEN WHEN SAID PISTON MEANS MOVES FORWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHROUD AND ADAPTED TO CLOSE WHEN SAID PISTON MEANS MOVES REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHROUD. 